YOUR Gateway to Sub-Saharan Africa ..... since 1995

Doing Business in South, Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa has its challenges, but with the right partner and the right Knowledge it will lead to Success! INTO SA is YOUR multi-disciplinary Advisory Partner, who provides any business with the Experience, Transparency and Integrity to succeed in Sub-Saharan Africa. More than Three Hundred Successful Business Establishments with a total investment of just over Five Hundred Million US Dollars give testimony to the fact that providing new ventures with old knowledge will inevitably lead to success.

Since 1995 Into SA assists across Sub-Saharan Africa with:

Branch, Subsidiary and Company Incorporation & Set-up

Immigration Advice and Visa Applications

BEE and Economic Empowerment Compliance

Tax registrations, Licenses and Renewals

Cross-Border Payments through Central Banks

Into SA operates with the (eAFRICA Platform) a unique gateway to access any market in Sub-Saharan Africa. Into SA assists and facilitates – together with its Partner NextGenTech – Brands, Products and Services to enter Africa and advises on Public Tenders, Private Public Partnerships and Cross-Border Joint Ventures.

In South Africa Into SA Limited, a public company, and all its branches are recognised as Level 1 BEE Contributors and together with its branch and partner network across Sub-Saharan Africa provides all clients with a dedicated multi-lingual team of legal, fiscal and economic experts, collectively benefitting from over one hundred years of university education and experience.

Into SA offers an extensive Information Library, which offers the Laws of Sub-Saharan Africa (eLAW) , Information Leaflets on local legal issues (eINFO) and an overview over bilateral treaties for each country in Sub-Saharan Africa (eTREATY).

For more information about all services, please browse this WebPage or download the Company Brochure of Into SA (ePROFILE).

INVESTORNEWS

Changes of selected Legal Aspects

Immigration Law South Africa

The Department of Home Affairs has published an amendment to the Immigration Act which is set to have major implications for immigrants, tourism and the economy.The changes – which came into effect from 1 December 2018 – were first mooted as part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s economic stimulus package revealed in September. Arguably the biggest change will be the reversal of a rule introduced by former Home Affairs minister, Malusi Gigaba, which required foreign minors travelling to South Africa to produce an unabridged birth certificate before being allowed access into the country. This birth certificate requirement has been a major point of controversy, with a 2016 report released by the DA finding that the rule cost the country as much as R7.5 billion due to lost business from blocked tourists. Other changes include revised rules for spouses entering the country as part of a permanent homosexual or heterosexual relationship, revised rules for applicants of a general work, business, and corporate visas as well as changes for applicants of permanent residency or residency on other grounds.

Renewable Energy in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is currently facing energy supply challenges. Less than a quarter of the population in the rural areas has access to clean energy. Electricity supplies cannot meet demand as the electricity grid is in a poor state due to inadequate investment in the sector, leading to erratic supplies. This has forced Zimbabwe to have to import expensive power from its neighbours, mainly South Africa and Mozambique. With an average access to electricity standing at 21% in the rural areas and 80% in urban areas, the need for alternative energy supplies to meet the energy supply deficit cannot be overemphasized. If you are interested in this opportunity in Zimbabwe, please contact Into SA’s eAFRICA Desk.

Indigenisation Law Zimbabwe

In a major policy change by the new administration under President Mnangagwa, government has removed the local ownership requirement for foreign investment into the country, save for the diamond and platinum sectors. The indigenisation law, which requires 51 percent control by locals in the major sectors of the economy, has been blamed for Zimbabwe’s inability to attract significant foreign investment and create employment. The country has an estimated 90 percent jobless rate.

Black Economic Empowerment South Africa

On 29 August 2018 the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) published the Youth Employment Service Initiative as Notice 502 under Gazette #41866. This is a significant piece of BEE Legislation that will change the BEE landscape. It enables any organisation, EME, QSE or Generic to enhance its BEE level by one or two levels by providing jobs for young black people under the Youth Employment Service Initiative.

Company Law South Africa

TThe long awaited South African Draft Companies Amendment Bill was published on the 21 September for public comment, the Bill proposes to make 7 legal changes that businesses should be aware of, namely;

Directors’ remuneration to be disclosed in the financial statements

Share buyback must be approved by a special resolution of shareholders

Certain companies will need to set up a social and ethics committee

Appointed auditors to be independent of the company

The Companies Tribunal will have power to adjudicate cases referred to it by the B-BBEE Commission.

Protection of company names

Business rescue provisions and the treatment of landlords through this process.

Labour Law South Africa

The national minimum wage came into force and effect on 1 May 2018. Currently, 6.6-million workers earn less than R3‚500‚ the national minimum wage for a month of 44-hour-weeks and based on a minimum of ZAR 20.00 per hour. The national minimum wage is overseen by a National Minimum Wage Commission, which will decide on annual increases considering a number of factors‚ including inflation‚ productivity and growth in gross domestic product.

Government Grants South Africa

The s12I Tax Incentive, which was designed to support Greenfield investments (i.e. new industrial projects that utilise only new and unused manufacturing assets), as well as Brownfield investments (i.e. expansions or upgrades of existing industrial projects) is coming to an end due to budget restraints of SARS. The incentive, which offers support for both capital investment and training, was extended until 31 December 2017 and will not be extended again. Applications have therefore to be submitted o or before that date, while reliable sources within SARS have already confirmed that the applications received until now already exceed the given budget significantly.